It’s the drug with the most addicts in Portugal, but the president of SICAD (the addiction intervention service) is all for using cannabis in medical treatments.
Talking in Lisbon yesterday, when he introduced the latest European Drug Report, João Goulão said: “I would offer no resistance at all, as there is scientific proof that shows the benefits (of cannabis used for medicinal uses)” – though he did say the “process” would need approval by medicines entity Infarmed.
Goulão’s comments come in a year when Australian company TPI Enterprises upped its commitment to growing white poppies in Portugal – also designed for the pharmaceutical industry.
Nonetheless, he stressed the increasing dangers of cannabis for “recreational use”, telling his audience that the drug today is “evermore potent” – causing not only dependence, but panic attacks, psychotic episodes and other serious health problems.
Whereas cannabis used to carry around 3% of the psychotropic substance THC (tetrahydrocannbinol), these days the strength is up to 20%, he said.
